Open Journalism NorthWet

COMMENT:

A friend who is more liberal than I pointed out that, after the Jim Brady affair, had the National Rifle Assocation (USA) become the champion of firearms safety and sought to ensure that, just as in Switzerland or Israel, every able-bodied American was capable of handling small arms safely and competently, they would have succeeded in pulling the teeth of the anti-gun establishment in the American congress. They instead dug in their heels and averred that any attempt to regulate was an attempt to eliminate as a public face, which only made things worse.

The NRA has enjoyed seven years of GOP-dominated federal government. By all indications, this is about to change. My friend posits that now would be a Good Time for the NRA to get on the safety bandwagon, to catch the boat they missed two administrations ago. While it may well be true that many Democrats would like nothing better than to whittle away at the Second Amendment until it vanishes into the night, a measured voice of reason carefully applied has the potential to render this effort untenable. Whether such a voice is forthcoming remains to be seen.